Lord Impaler: "Babylon Whore"

Many repeat offenses which would have, ironically, been more enjoyable in a more brief format.

Since 1998 the Greek group known as Lord Impaler have unleashed grueling black metal through several demos, finally culminating with severe force in 2011 in the form of the album Admire the Cosmos Black. 2013 saw them continue in the vein of smaller releases with the Babylon Whore EP; With a mere two songs to show, they make up for the short play time with immediate and unrelenting explosions of blast beats and tremolo riffs going the speed of a circular saw.

Seventh Xul: "Qliphothic Rites of Death"

Two deadly doctrines were all the potent Greek duo could muster, but what a great one it was!

Though short in playing time, Qliphothic Rites of Death by Seventh Xul is an EP with some history behind it. It is a result of the collaboration between two prominent and productive metal maniacs from Greece: N.e.c.r.o. and Acherontas, known individually from their long involvement in the scene through bands like Burial Hordes, Enshadowed and Acherontas.

Rise of Malice: "Coronation of Liar" & "Rise of Malice"

The band that stays true to their roots while progressing as both musicians and songwriters

The following is a double bill review, examining the band's two demos back to back. The first light dawned over the Greek group Rise of Malice in 2009, back then featuring guitarist Satwe, bassist Størfeth and vocalist Nørlåndær. Not long after their creation did they have their debut demo, "Coronation of Liar", ready. It features four original tracks of pure Scandinavian-styled black metal, along with a Darkthrone cover song. "Coronation", given the band's lack of a drummer, was recorded with a drummachine. The machine, however, was replaced by drummer NecroAcherontas in 2011, before the release of their second demo, the eponymous "Rise of Malice", in 2012.

Hedon Cries: "The End of the Path is Nigh"

Going just above and beyond with a simple setup

Melody and brutality aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. While most brutal death metal bands aren't exactly known for their melodic approach, you needn't look further than the early efforts of bands such as Katatonia or Amorphis to find examples of bands that combine brutal heaviness with melancholic harmonies and focused melodies.